What's a Celestron Ultima 8 worth?

I just saw a nice Ultima 8 sell on Ebay for $821.

Is that a good deal or are these worth less than I thought they were? Didn't they sell for around $1800 new back in the 90's?

Mike

Hi:

If the scope's in good shape, yes, that is a fantastic deal. Frankly, It'd take at least twice that to get me to part with mine (a 1995 model)! We won't see its like again. Keep in mind, though, that not all Ultima 8s are the same. The early ones had a rechargeable lead-acid battery that wasn't that great (it's less helpful to have a rechageable battery than you would think...if the battery goes dead during an observing run, it's better to just be able to chuck it and replace it with a fresh one than have to recharge). Some of the early ones did not have PEC, either. And earlier ones also had a wedge that was a little light for this heavy-forked scope...I think it was about 1994 before Celestron switched to a C11 wedge for this big 8.


Peace,
Rod Mollise